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(No Model.)

H. E. RIDER & J. H. LEWIS. APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM BY ELECTRICITY.

PatentedMar. 6, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

HERBERT E. RIDER AND JOSEPH'H. LETVIS, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y-

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING STEAM BY ELECTRICITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,167, dated March 6, 1894.

Application filed February 17,1893. Serial No. 462,691. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HERBERT E. RIDER and J osnrn H. Lnwrs, citizens of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating Steam by Electricity, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is the speedy and economical generation of steam by elec tricity, and in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof we have illustrated one embodiment of our invention, or apparatus or combination of parts which utilizes our invention, in, which drawings-- Figure 1 represents a vertical section in elevation of a boiler or container, receptacle or vessel adapted to hold water and steam with appropriate attachments; Fig. 2 a device for automatically breaking the electric current 011 the rise of steam-pressure in the boiler or receptacle to an undesired degree. Fig. 3 represents a section or portion of an electric conductor, insulated and covered as we have devised, to be inserted directly in or to be surrounded by the water in the boiler or receptacle. Fig. 4 illustrates a section of the conductor shown in Fig. 3 coiled. Fig. 5 illustrates a straight section of a portion of an electric conductor of a slightly modified form, insulated and covered in the same manner as the conductor shown in Fig. 3 and also adapted to be directly inserted in or to be surrounded by the water in the receptacle or boiler; and Fig. 6 illustrates a section of the conductor shown in Fig. 5 coiled.

In Fig. 1 our invention is shown applied to a steam boiler A partially filled with water 13. O is the water inlet pipe, having a regulating float valve D controlled by a ball or float E. F is a removable plate or door. The top G of the boiler contains a spring safety valve H. I is the steam outlet, and J is a steam gage. It is of course evident that any suitable construction of boiler may be used. In the bottom of the boiler is placed the heater K, shown as consisting of two rectangular plates of insulating material L, M, supported by the posts N N, which posts rest upon the bottom of the boiler.

Between the plates L M, are located our improved electric heating conductors. The

construction of these heating conductors is shown in Figs. 8, i, 5 and 6. Fig. 3 shows one construction, consisting of a central conductor O of such a character as will ofier the necessary resistance to the passage of the current, and this conductor 0 is surrounded by a material or substance which is a non-conductor of electricity and heat refractory, as mica, asbestos and the like P, and around and outside of this electric insulating and heat refractory material is wrapped a layer or covering of metal Q; or a conductor is first coiled, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and then the coil is wrapped or surrounded with asbestus, mica or other heat refractory and insulating material P and is then wrapped with the metallic covering Q. The wrapped covering tightly compresses the electric insulatingand heat refractory material, and so effectually protects the same that the compound heating conductor may be directly immersed in water for the purpose of heating the water and generating steam. lVith our improved compound conductor thus immersed, a very direct and effective heating of the water is obtained.

Our compound heating conductor is preferably used in the boiler by winding, turning or otherwise arranging it in a continuous strand or in separate strands connected together between plates or coiled, as shown in Figs. 4. and 6 and arranged between the plates M and L, as shown in Fig. 1. We preferably employ as the conducting material the alloy called German silver and which in practice we have found is durable and may be employed for a long period without oxidation or burning away.

iVhile we have mentioned mica and ashestus as being suitable insulators, we do not limit ourselves to such material, and there are many other substances which we mayemploy, and many other insulating compounds with which to insulate the conductor within the spirit of our invention. It will of course be readily understood that when the current is passed through the circuit and traverses the conductor or conductors between the plates L, M, the resistance of said conductor will cause heat to be generated, and the heat will be transmitted therefrom to the surrounding insulating material, and therefrom to the the resistance of the conducting material of the heater.

While we have described the heater as consistlng of two rectangular plates of insulating material it is to be understood that'such' plates may be of any shape and size and they are used for the purpose of supplying supports for the conducting material which is arranged between them, but we do not limit our invention to the use of plates between which the conducting material is arranged since the conducting material may be supported in any other convenient manner within the spirit of our invention; nor do we limit our invention to the location of the heater 1n the bottom of the boiler or container, nor to the arrangement of conductors in coils placed vertically between the plates shown and described. If desired any number of separate heaters can be placed within the boiler or container and connected together in series or multiple electrical arrangement.

To the plate M are connected two binding posts R S to which binding posts the ends of the conducting material or conductor 0 are connected and from these binding posts run the wires 2 3 inside the boiler or container which wires or conductors it is preferable should be insulated and covered in the manner described in connection with the conductor 0; these wires 2 3 run to the binding posts T U arranged inside of the boiler near the opening closed by the door F or directly to the door as shown,if desired, but of course insulated therefrom, and these binding posts are connected with or form part of the binding postsV W arrangedon the outside of the boiler to which binding posts V W are connected the wires or conductors 4 and 6, respectively, the wire 4 running to the binding post 1) connected to a bracket Y attached to the boiler or on some structure or fixture located near the boiler and the wire 6 running to a suitable electric generator. To this bracket is attached a metal standard or post 0 so as to make electrical con tactwith the binding postb and from the upper end of the post 0 extends the pivoted arm 01 adapted to move on the pivot e its downward motion being limited by the foot f as will be readily understood; to the bracket Y is also attached the pivoted post 9 which turns on the pivot h, the upper end of the post 9 being adapted to engage with the arm d making electrical connection therewith and thereby completing the circuit from the electric generator through the wire 5, the binding post a and pivoted post g, said binding post a being electrically connected with the said pivoted post 9, the pivoted arm d,

the post b, the wire 4, posts'W and U and wire 3, to the heater K, the circuit being closed when the arms (1 and g are in the position shown in Fig. l and open when the arms 01 and gare in the position shown in Flg. 2. The device just described is one form of electric cut-out device by which the current may be broken cutting out the heater K on the use of steam pressure in the boiler to too great a degree, that is to say the cut-outdev1ce is one which is designed to be operated by the pressure of the steam in the container or boiler, being adapted to operate so as to break the circuit when the pressure reaches a predetermined degree or point and to close the circuit again when the pressure has fallen.

This is accomplished by means of the cylinder t and piston j and piston-rod It; this c ylinder t' is located at any convenient point alongside the boiler A and extends a slight distance therein, the piston-rod 10 passing through a stuffing box 1 around which is placed suitable packing m the outer end of said piston-rod being adapted to engage with the arm g in contact with a piece 0tv insulating material '22 attached to said arm 9 and around the piston-rod is placed a coiled spring 0 which is expanded as shown in Fig. 1 when the circuit is closed and which spring 1s retracted by the pressure of the steam in the boiler A forcing out the piston and compressing the spring between the piston and the outer end of the cylinder 1' between which the springois located and as the piston j is forced in it forces out the piston-rod It andthereby pushing backward the post 9 breaking contact with the arm d and when the pressure has fallen again the piston j will be restored to its normal position by means of the spring 0 as shown in Fig. 1 whereby the piston-rod will be removed from the arm g and which arm 9 will be restored to its normal posltion in contact with the arm g so as to complete the circuit again by means of the sprmg 19 one end of which is attached to the arm 9 and the other to a post or standard 1' which rises from the bracket Y and which spring 19 is expanded when the piston-rod 7c forces away the post g. The spring safety valve H at the top of the boiler contains a spring 3 which is stronger than the spring 0 of the cut-out device so that when the steam-pressure rises to or beyond the desired point the circuit will be broken by the automatic cut-out device which cuts out the heater and prevents the further generation of steam for the time being, and if that is not sufficient and the pressure becomes too great, it will openthe springvalve H, whereby the pressure will be reduced.

It is of course evident that par-ts of ourinvention may be used separately, as for instance the heater may be used without the automatic circuit breaker, or with a circuit breaker of another pattern, and the circuit breaker may be used in connection with a heater of another construction.

IIO

. What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. An electric heater consisting of an electric conductor of sufiiciently high resistance to develop heat on the passage of a suitable electric current therethrough, an insulator surrounding said conductor, and a Wrapped covering Wound upon the insulator, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for generating steam by electricity the combination with a boiler or vessel adapted to hold Water and steam of a device adapted to heat the water and convert the same into steam on the passage of an electric current therethrough and an automatic circuit opening and closing device interposed in the circuit thereof and adapted to break the circuit on the rise of pressurein the boiler, and to close the circuit when the pressure has fallen, said device comprising the cylinder t, the piston j, the piston rod. k extending out through a stuffing-box in the cylinder, the pivoted arm (I, the spring 0 between the piston and the end of the cylinder, the pivoted post g and yielding means for holding said post g against the piston rod It said arm d and post 9 forming part of the circuit to the heater, substantially as set forth. This specification signed and witnessed this 14th day of February, A. D. 1893.

HERBERT E. RIDER. JOSEPH II. LEWIS. In presence of- ALFRED W. KIDDLE, M. GIBSON. 

